doomed!

The executives of the big chipmakers have never been so gloomy. They worry who will survive a coming wave of conlolidation, but will the big crunch really happen? At the IET/GSA International Semiconductor Forum held in London last month, executives complained of the years of profitless prosperity they have endured since the collapse of the dot-com bubble at the end of 2000. Industry statistics show robust growth in units since 2002 and there seem to be few signs of a halt in the encroachment of silicon into everyday life.